I'd take a glass tower any day over a dreary brutalist concrete one. I just wish it wasn't always the same colour of glass. The buildings constructed in the late 80's and early 90's tend to be my favourite as they were more colourful.
 
Dreary brutalism? Manulife Centre is looking more and more like a Toronto icon. I propose we bring back the brut!

As for minimalism, well some of you may not realize that I also love maximalism! done right of course. Bling it on Toronto!
 
Not to mention the rising amount of research that proves these glass-clad condos can't handle our crazy climate range and are only a fraction as energy efficient as concrete or stone-clad buildings. Aesthetics is only one side of the coin. We can't forget that people have to live in these buildings too!

http://www.cbc.ca/toronto/features/condos/
 
Bayer said:
The building this complex will replace is absolutely decrepit
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The decrepit state of "old" Yonge street is definitely a love it or hate it kind of thing. Count me among the love it side. Too bad Yonge street will soon become a 905er's version of urbanity. I feel like the same underlying aesthetic disposition that made my dad obsess over keeping his suburban front lawn completely green and completely flat is the same kind of disposition that celebrates the replacement of old Yonge with buildings like this.
 
What? Isn't it the opposite? The suburban mentality hates tall buildings and density. Maybe the new development will be cleaner, but it will certainly be less suburban. A relatively aesthetically-sterile two-tower structure with retail and hundreds of inhabitants is surely more urban that a one-storey amalgamation of ugly stores selling sweatshop goods.
 
Silence&Motion said:
The decrepit state of "old" Yonge street is definitely a love it or hate it kind of thing. Count me among the love it side. Too bad Yonge street will soon become a 905er's version of urbanity. I feel like the same underlying aesthetic disposition that made my dad obsess over keeping his suburban front lawn completely green and completely flat is the same kind of disposition that celebrates the replacement of old Yonge with buildings like this.
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Actually, it's the *current* state of Yonge St that conforms to 905er's stereotypes of the "big city": seedy, decrepit ,ugly, rundown. It's the raison d'être of the false greener pastures of suburbia. I'd hope there's a middle ground between scuzzy and generic.
 
condovo said:
Actually, it's the *current* state of Yonge St that conforms to 905er's stereotypes of the "big city": seedy, decrepit ,ugly, rundown. It's the raison d'être of the false greener pastures of suburbia. I'd hope there's a middle ground between scuzzy and generic.
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Well as an aside, the 905 should have a closer look at the older parts of themselves, they have far more in common with the 416 inner suburban belt than downtown.

AoD
 
I think what was meant by the 905ers version of urbanity is that is seen in typical GTA intensification, or perhaps condoization in general. Obviously we know that our suburbs are not typical suburbs in the sense that they are all low-rise residential, and we have 905 municipalities that have undergone quite extensive intensification by the way of condos (Mississauga). But this sort of intensification still has a very suburban quality to it in the sense that things are still very separate and private. Even though there is the plot of land has multiple uses, the residential portions are very much their own thing compared to the commercial spaces below. The building likely has multiple amenities that would normally would have been found elsewhere and would have necessitated a walk to a more communal or public facility (condo pool vs. public pool, condo gym vs. off site gym). And of course private ownership vs. tenancy.

Old Mid or Low-rise Apartment:

Laundry - Offsite Laundromat or one for the whole building
Parking - Likely none or street parking
Gym - Off-site private; Rec Centre
Pool - Rec Centre

High-rise Condo:

Landry - Washer Dryer in the unit
Parking - Spot in parking garage below
Gym - Amenity Floor
Pool - Amenity Floor

Suburban detached Home:

Laundry - Washer and Dryer in house
Parking - Driveway and Garage
Gym - House Gym
Pool - Backyard

Obviously this is not reflective of everyone but the point is that Condo living could be a very private affair in relation to old walk up apartments that sort of force you to engage with the street more often (whether you like it or not).
 
arvelomcquaig said:
What? Isn't it the opposite? The suburban mentality hates tall buildings and density. Maybe the new development will be cleaner, but it will certainly be less suburban. A relatively aesthetically-sterile two-tower structure with retail and hundreds of inhabitants is surely more urban that a one-storey amalgamation of ugly stores selling sweatshop goods.
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I see this "urban = tall buildings, suburban = low rise" mentality on this forum often, and I don't really see where it comes from.

Just because a building is tall doesn't make it urban. In fact there are plenty of areas with many tall buildings all over the suburbs.

Similarly, just because a neighbourhood has low-rise buildings doesn't make it suburban. Most of the Old Toronto is < 3 stories and much of it is urban to me. The Little Italy area on College for example is urban to me. To me a place like Kensington Market is very urban.

I'm also not sure where you're getting that the "suburban mentality hates tall buildings and density". There are so many tall building developments in the suburbs, like in Mississauga City Centre, in North York, Scarborough, Markham etc. Suburban municipalities always seem to have plans to develop areas with tall buildings & density, like Vaughan's plans around the new subway station.
 
I think what was originally meant by 905 attitude wasn't about heights but about things needing to be manicured. Toronto is a little seedy and gritty, it's part of the charm. Perfection lacks character.
 
condovo said:
Actually, it's the *current* state of Yonge St that conforms to 905er's stereotypes of the "big city": seedy, decrepit ,ugly, rundown. It's the raison d'être of the false greener pastures of suburbia. I'd hope there's a middle ground between scuzzy and generic.
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Yep, insightful point. Yonge street just is Toronto many visitors.
 
ehlow said:
I see this "urban = tall buildings, suburban = low rise" mentality on this forum often, and I don't really see where it comes from.
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Walkability largely determines urban/suburban.
If you can't live without a car on a daily basis, you are in the suburbs, no matter how close it is to downtown. That's for sure.
 
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